Welcome from the Vice President for Research

CWRU researchers are among the most distinguished in the world. We have 16 Nobel Laureates among current and former faculty and alumni, 4 members of the National Academies of Sciences, 7 members of the National Academy of Engineering, and 8 members of the Institute of Medicine. We also partner with artistic and cultural institutions on a broad range of projects that make important scholarly contributions in the humanities and social sciences.

Extraordinary research requires an outstanding infrastructure. Our Office of Research & Technology Management provides support to seek out grant funding, to facilitate industrial sponsorship, and to transfer university technologies to the marketplace. This is a place for people driven to make a difference, and our office exists to help them succeed.

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Research Newsletter

July 14, 2015

National Institutes of Health – National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

The NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) has released a RFA for MIRA, a pilot program that will award a single grant to provide support for all of the research in an investigator's laboratory that is related to the mission of NIGMS. Within the scope of the MIRA grant, investigators will have the freedom to explore new avenues of inquiry that arise during the course of their research. MIRA grants will generally be for 5 years for both established investigators and new and early stage investigators.

CWRU researchers who receive requests for information that invoke the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) should contact the Office of General Counsel. This should be done immediately so the extremely short deadlines under FOIA can be met. General Counsel can work with the faculty member to take steps to protect proprietary or confidential information from grants and protocols prior to the release of the requested information. Individual researchers should not release information without first consulting with the CWRU Office of General Counsel.

Computing devices are machines used to acquire, store, analyze, process, and publish data and other information electronically and include accessories (or peripherals) for printing, transmitting and receiving, or storing electronic information. Computing devices costing less than $5,000 are not considered equipment and therefore are treated as supplies and materials. Therefore, if a computing device is to be acquired for use in the performance of a federal award, the computing device may be charged to the federal award provided that:

it is essential (i.e., necessary) to performing the work under the award, and

the cost is allocable and reasonable.

Determining whether a computing device is essential – The Principal Investigator should consider (and document) whether performing the work under the award without the computing device would be difficult and inefficient. An important measure of this is determining (and documenting) whether the anticipated cost of performing the work without the computing device is greater than the combined cost of performing the work plus the cost of acquiring the computing device.

Determining whether a computing device is allocable to a federal award – If a computing device is essential to and will benefit a federal award, it is allocable to that award. The cost may be allocated to a federal award even when its usage is not solely dedicated to it. However, the Principal Investigator should first consider the amount of benefit of the computing device to the project, and the cost should be allocated proportionally with a reasonable cost allocation methodology.

Determining whether the cost of a computing device is reasonable – The Principal Investigator must make an informed, prudent decision, taking into consideration not only the cost, but the utility, quality and value of the device to the project.

If a computing device is not essential to a federal award, it is not allocable (in whole or in part) as a direct cost to that award. In such cases, the computing device is considered to be a “general use” item and must be treated as an indirect cost expense (just like paper, pens and other general use supplies), and charged to an appropriate institutional funding source.

Please remember that all expenses charged to federal awards must conform to the cost principles specified in the OMB Uniform Guidance. Please consult with the Office of Research Administration if you should have any questions about whether you may charge a specific expense to federal funds.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will award up to $15.5 million in FY 2015 as part of the Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Awards program. These awards support projects that encourage active integration of patients, caregivers, clinicians, and other healthcare stakeholders as integral members of the patient-centered outcomes research/clinical effectiveness research (PCOR/CER) enterprise.

National Institutes of Health – National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

The NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) has released a RFA for the Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) , a pilot program that will award a single grant to provide support for all of the research in an investigator's laboratory that is related to the mission of NIGMS. Within the scope of the MIRA grant, investigators will have the freedom to explore new avenues of inquiry that arise during the course of their research. MIRA grants will generally be for 5 years for both established investigators and new and early stage investigators.

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